Teresa Sargeant
Key Points
- Orange County will hold two community meetings in Apopka on Jan. 26 and Jan. 28 for the Northwest Orange County Areawide Transportation Study (NOWOCATS).
- NOWOCATS aims to develop a long-range transportation plan to improve connectivity and reduce congestion across multiple transport modes.
- The meetings will present current and projected traffic data and seek public feedback on transportation concerns within northwest Orange County.
Orange County officials will host two community meetings later this month as part of the Northwest Orange County Areawide Transportation Study (NOWOCATS), a long-range planning effort focused on future transportation needs in the region.
The first meeting will be 6-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 26, at the Apopka Community Center, 519 S. Central Ave., Apopka. The second meeting will take place 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, at Kelly Park School, 4700 Jason Dwelley Parkway, Apopka.
Both meetings will present the same information to allow the public many opportunities to participate.
According to the meeting notice, both sessions will start with an open house at 6 p.m., giving attendees a chance to look at meeting materials. A formal presentation is slated to start at 6:30 p.m., followed by a public comment period.
Orange County, in partnership with the city of Apopka, is conducting NOWOCATS, which aims to operate as a long-range transportation plan that pinpoints and examines possible projects to improve connectivity, cut down congestion, and boost mobility for several means of transportation, including vehicles, transit, bicycles and pedestrians.
The study area includes parts of northwest Orange County north of Clarcona-Ocoee Road, south of the Orange/Seminole County line, east of the Orange/Lake County line and west of the Orange/Seminole County line.
The purpose of the first round of community meetings is to present data collected on existing traffic conditions and projected traffic conditions based on a 2050 model forecast. Officials are also seeking feedback from residents on transportation issues they consider important within the study area.
Meeting materials including the presentation will be made available before the meetings on the project website at NOWOCATS.com.
Public participation is open to all residents. Accommodations are available for individuals who need language translation, interpretive services or assistance under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Requests for accommodations must be made at least seven days before the meeting, according to the notice.